Stabilized nitrated starch.



UNITED sr'rns PATENT OFFICE;

FLETCHER B. HOLMES, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE I3 I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STABILIZED NITRATED STARCH.

7 Specification of Letters Patent. I Applicationfiled May 20,1907. Seria1No.3 I 4.525.

Patented Jan. 7,- 1908.

and exact description.

, cuts.

The object of my invention is to produce stable nitrate-d starch. t

N itrated starch may be used as an explosive itself, orpreferably ma be used as-a' component part of' an exp osive, such as where it is mixed withsodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, or some other oxy en carrier, with or without the addition of other ingredi- The'difliculty with nitrated starch isv that it is very unstable, being liable to decomposition; When such nitrated starch de-- -ce mposes,'qwhich it isliable-to do at ordinary p tu it becomes liable to spontaneous combustion. f

-I havedis'c'o'vered' that-iIcan produce a stabl e' nitratedfl starch .by mixing with -nitartaric acid containing ammonium; The'mixingmay, be made in tra ted starch a' salt of -any' ma'nnerfto' produce a ood mixture.

kind of a mixer. Preferably I mix the two in.

They may be mixed wet or ry and in any a finely divided powdered condition ina bowl provided with stirrers or paddles. ,Preferably I use an ammonium salt oft-artaric acid and of'such salts I prefer to use neutral ammonium 'tar'trate, e

l cooNngoHoH-cHoH-coo H The salts of tartaric acid containing ammonia which I can use include also double salts contaimng ammonia, such as sodium-ammonium-tartrate OOONa-CHOH-CHOH-COONHQ, potassium ammonium tartrate,

- OOQK-CHOH-CHOH-COONH this 15th day Witnesses etc. Also I can usethe acid ammonium tartrate oooH-oHoH-crioaoooNi-I,

instead of the neutral ammonium tartratei. I

The stabilizing reagent is mixedwith the nitrated starch produced in'the ordinary well known manner. The amount of the reagent used-is, preferably from two tofive per cent., although I have used smaller and larger amounts with-success. I have found three per cent. to give ood results.

Havingnow fu y described my invention,

,whatl claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: r

1. A stable explosive consisting of a -mix-' --ture of nitrated starch and a salt of tartaric acid containing ammonium, the latter bei in such proportion as tostabilize the nitrat d starch.- h j \2. A stable explosive consisting of a mixtureof'nitrated starch and from two to five per cent. of a salt of tartaric acid, containing ammonium;

3. A stable explosive, consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and an ammonium salt of tartaric acid, thelatter being in such proportion as to stabilize the nitrated starch. 4. A stable explosive consisting of. a mixa-ture of nitrated starch and from two tofive.

percent acid.

5. A stableexplosive, consisting of amixture of ,nitrated starch and neutral ammonium tart-rate, theiatterbeing in such proportion as to stabilize the nitrated starch.

of an ammonium salt of'tartaric 6. A stable nitrated starch, consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and" from two to five percent. of neutral ammonium tartrate.

' In testimony of which invention, I'have hereunto set myhand, at Philadelphia, on

of May, 1907. FLETCHER HOLMES.

. IM. M. HAnmroN,

1' an. Win. 

